Automobile.



- n. N. Mmm.

AUTOMOBILE. v APPLIOATION II-LED JULY 7, 1909. f

- Patented May 27,l 1913.

'4 SHEETS-snm 1.

D. N. BAXTER.

, AUTOMQBILE.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY-'1 1909.

'Patented may 27, 1913.

4 sums-SHEET 2,

D. N. BAXTER.

AUTOMOBILE 1 APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

Patented May 27, 1913.I

4 SHEETS-SHEET s. I

D.' NJIBAXTER: `AUToMmsILB.

APPLICATION .Ef-ILED-:JULY 7, 1909.

'Patented May 27, 1913. 4.snnrzs-snn 4.

Snam, 3

c i nnrrnn srl-iras 'rnfrnnr `corrieri".

DANIEL N. BAXTER, F WICHITA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO DANIEL BAXTER,

TRUSTEE, or Wtonr'ra, KANSAS.

AUTOMOBILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- raten-tea nay 27, 1913.

Application led July 7, i909. Serial No. 596,8S2.

.This invention relates generally to motor vehicles and refers particularly to the specific construction of the same whereby a vehicle of greater eiciency is produced.

Anobject of this invention is to provide a vehicle of this character with a swiveled body, whereby the wheels thereof. will adapt themselves to the unevenness of the roads so thattraction will be maintained at all times between each of the wheels and the roadway. rlhis feature thus embodies a structure wherein the strain upon the tires and the engine which operates the vehicle is lessened and which will materially add'to the life 'V- of the same.

The invention has for lanother object the construction of a vehicle ot' this character one another when the vehicle is turned,

.3 ywhich may be easily handled by so arranging the supporting tran'ies thcreoiz that the vehicle may he turned in a limited space and wherein the length of the Vehicle may be considerably shortened Yithout eliminating or cramping any of the mechanism necessary for the satisfactory propelling of the Vehicle. I

The invention further contemplates the provision ot means whereby the powerris applied to cach of the i'onr wheels ot the vehicle. thns effecting a greater power of the 'vehicle by doubling the elfen-.tive strength of the machine and constructing the'machine withont the necessity of proriding long driving shafts or chains to transmit the power from the engines to the several wheels. l

The invention still further contemplates the disposition ot the `power elements in the forward and rear ends oi the vehicle and in direct -coninninication 'with the respective axles, whereupon the power elements remain in alincineot with the wheels carried by axles'upon the swifring ot the frames n.,

insuring a direct. and'etiectire pulling pow ol the machine on curves and on oneven roads without.- the danger.; of straining the transmissions which connect the saine. ln 'this connection the arrangement ot the 1no.

tors Awhich supply the power, andthe transmissions connecting the motors to the ywheels are such that the load ispractically equally distributed to all fourof the supportinltry wheels of the vehicle thus effecting an equal traction of the same. l

For a full understanding of Vtheinvention reference is to be.' had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:- l

Figure l` is a side elevation of the completemotor vehicle.` Fig. 2 is a bottom planv viewloi? the same. of the vehicle. Fig. L is avdetaileol ragmentary View showing the construction of the bearing roller which supports the two swiveled frames. Fig. 5 is a side elevationV of the same. YFig. G is atop plan View of the connection between the swiveled frames, a fragmentary View oit the same` being dis-, closed.V` Fig. 'Z' is a rear elevation of the saine. 'Fig'. 8 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 9 is alongitndinal vertical section through the vehicle. Fig. l0 is 'an enlarged vsectional .View oi the mechanism for trans- 363 being shown in section.

Correspondingand like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. 4 l

`le'lerring to the drawings in which is disclosed an en'ibodiment ot' the invention the numerai l() designates the .main 'trame of the yeh'iclegwhich comprises an angle bar which hentto form substantially vrectangnlar frame having its sides slightly converged at its forward end. lo is provided with a transverse bar ll which is also formed ot an anglev bar and which is located intermediately between the ends oit the sides of the main trame l() and secured in any suitable manner. as by rivets or the like. The central portion of the brace il provided with a suitable bearing l?! which prct'era comprises a circular block haring ognn iy and laterally eX- teinlcrl tien; n arc rivetedor otherwise pcrii'ianenily wed against the torwartl tace :It the ice ll. The block is provided with afi* tical .bore for a. purpose hcreinafterset 'iii jh. .tit the roar end ot' the main traine if.) an arched aXleftB is transversely positioned which is secured Fig.. 3 isa rear elevation i i The frame `rigidly 21 and supports are spaced apart upon to themain frame 10 and which carries upon its opposite extremities the wheels 14 which support the rear end of the machine. T-he wheels '14 are each provided with drums 15 which are provided with sprockets 16 engaged by chains 17 by which the wheels 14 are driven. The chains 17 extend forwardly from the sprockets 16 and engage over smaller sprockets 18 lo# cated upon the opposite extremities of a jack-shaft 19.. The. jack-shaft 19 is jour-4 naled in suitable bearings 2O which are carl ried upon the opposite sidesof the main frame 10 forwardly of the wheels 14. Extended from the axle 13 to the brace llis a second brace 21 which is positioned longitudinally and centrally ofthe mainframe 10. A bearing 22 extends from the bracey the intermediate portion of the jack-shaft 19. The shaft 19 carries adjacent to its vcentral portion a beveled pinion 23 meshing with the beveled gear 24 arranged upon a stub shaft 25. The crankshaft or drive-shaft 26 is transversely 'journaled in depending brackets 27 in the frame 10 forwardly of the jack-shaft 19 and isprovided with crank portions 28 and' 29 on which are carried the piston rods 3G and 31 .of the engine cylinders 32. The engine cylinders 32 are carried in a horizontalI position upon supports 33 which are laterafly extended from the brace 21. On the crankshaft 26 are mounted fly-wheels 34 )which the opposite sides of the brace 21.

The inner opposite faces of the ily-wheels 34 are provided with flattened or friction faces 35 and 36 with one or the other of which the friction disk 36a engages: The disk 36a is splined to the shaft 25 and is mounted for longitudinal movement thereon to enable various speeds of the shaft 25 to be obtained from the motor. A sleeve 36b is positioned centrally upon the crank# shaft 26 and pivotallysupports the inner. end of the stub-shaft 25, and is employed in shifting the disk 36a to alternately engage the same againstthe faces 35 and 36 of the fly-wheels 34. 4

Positioned beneath the forward end of the main frame 10 is a secondary frame 37 which is approximately U-shaped and which carries at its forward end the front axle 38 which supports theforward end of the vehicle. A

The secondary frame 37 is formed of angle iron and is supported at its rearend immediately beneath the central portion of the brace 11. Upon the rear endy of the secondary frame 37 a vertical pivot bearing 39 is provided,"formed with a vertical bore which registers with the bore ofbearing 12. Through these alining bores passes a king bolt 4() which forms the pivotal center for the frame 37. Thebore ofthe bearing' Y 39 is outwardly and downwardly flared for the purpose of permitting the. frame 37 to have a rocking movement upon the king bolt 40. This permits a free lateral reciprocation of the secondary frame 37 and.

prevents this reciprocation being transmitted tothe .main frame.

For the purpose of furthering the swivel motion of the frame 37 a rounded washer 67 is positioned between the-two bearings 12 and 39 about the king-bolt 40, the flat-A tened face of the washer bearing 39 while the rounded face extends upwardly and rocks upon the' upper bear- Lgfhe front axle 38 isprovided with wheels.

41 of. any suitable construction which are actuated through ondjack-shaft 45.

The 'second jack shaft 45 is mounted in the frame 37 rearward of the front axle 38.

lying against the the medium of sprockets. 44 located upon the opposite ends of a sec- A corresponding crank shaft 46 is mounted on the secondary frame 37 rearwardly of the jack shaft 45 and is driven by piston rods 48 operating in vert-ical cylinders 47. The jack shaft 45 is driven from the crank shaft 46 by means of bevel .gears 49, one of which is mounted upon a stub shaft 50, `the other being mounted on the shaft 45. The stub shaft 50 is formed in two sections connected to each other by a universal joint, and splined upon one of these sections of the stub shaft 50 is a. friction disk 50a. 50b is slidably mounted upon the crank shaft: 46, to which sleeve the inner extremity :of the section 50c of the stub shaft is pivotally connected. By shifting this sleeve 50b the A sleeve.

roo

section 50c of the stub shaft will be reciprocated and will carry the friction disk 50a .into engagement with the inner faces of either of the friction means the vehicle may wardly or rearwardly, and by shifting the friction disk 50a upon the stub shaft section 50c, various speeds may be obtained. I have not shown any means' for shifting 'the disk 50a as such shifting means is common and well known.

be driven either for- A bracket 52 is outwardly extended from L' the forward end ,of the main frame 10 which carries a suitable bearing 53y to support the lower end of a steering post. 54. The steering post 54 is projected downwardly from the 4bearing and carries a gear 55 which is arranged to actuate a. segment 56 rigidly secured across the forward edge of the axle 38. The opposite end of the steering post 54 extends upwardly a position adjacent the seat of the operator. A forked bracket 57 is carried at. the forwardend of the main axle 38 and carries a roller 58 which rests upon a roller plate 59' disposed longitudk Vnally upon the ,upper wheels 46a. By this.

above the frame 10 to.

face of the front axle' lili) frame 10 above the 'I 38. A guard finger 60 depends from` the number, four being disposed upon each side lof the mainframe, and upon which is rigidly secured a body frame 62. rFhe body fra-me 62 preferably comprises a frame of light material, preferably steel, and which supports the body 63 of the machine. The body v63 is preferably secured to the frame l62 through-the medium of a plurality of hinges 64, which may be of any number desired, the pintles 65 being removable to permit of the quick detachment of the body 63 from the frame 62. As seen in Fig. 3 the hinges A64 are disposed at one side of the body 63 and the frame 62 so as to permit one side of the bodyv to be swung upward when it is desired to gain access to the operative parts of the vehicle. The crank-shafts 26 and 46 are each extended beyond the frame 10 and squared' asyat 66 for the application gf crank-handles or the like when it is desired to start the machine.`

It will be seen that I have provided a separate drivingmeans for both the front and-'rear axles and that the motor for driving thefront axle and the front axle itself is mounted upon a skeleton frame which is laterally movablerelative to the main frame and which is vertically movableindependent ofthe main frame. It will also be seen that thisA frame 37 which `carries the motor for the front axle, fand also carries the front axle, islaterally tiltable by reason of the enlarged conical .bore'of the bearino 39 and because ofthe rounded washer .formsa rounded bearing between the frame 67 which 37 and `the main frame, and specifically between the rear end of the frame 37 and the cross piece 11.

It is also to be particularly noted that the cylinders 47 of the motor for the front axle are upwardly extended and pass through an opening in the floor of the body of the vehicle and into the space beneath engine is nottransmitted to the main frame as it would be if the cylinders 47 were connected directly to the main frame.y Furthermore, bymounting the vcylinders 47 upon the secondary frame, the cylinders are allowed to move with the secondary frame, thus `doing away with complicated connections which would be otherwise necessary between the piston rods of these cylinders and the secondary frame.

By employing a separate engine and a separate transmission for each of the frames a direct line of power is secured which eliminates complications in the transmission mechanism which would otherwise be necessary in applying the power to the four wheels of the vehicle.

By hinging the body upon the main frame access can be readily gained to the working parts of the machine since the body 63 can' be swung upwardly and outwardly at either side of the frame by the withdrawal of the pintles 65 disposed upon the opposite sides of the frame G2. .v

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In a motor vehicle, a main skeleton frame, a secondary frame pivoted at its rear end to the main frame for movement in a horizontal plane, traction wheels mounted on the forward ends of the seqondary frame, driving mechanism mounted on said secondary frame and movable therewith, a hollow body supported upon the main frame, and motors carried on the secondary frame extending up through the main frame and into lsaidiody, said motors being operatively connected to the driving mechanism and. movable with the secondary frame.

2. In a motor vehicle, a main frame, a secondary frame pivoted at its rear end to the main frame for movement in a horizontal'plane, traction wheels mounted on the forward ends of the secondary frame, drivfing mechanism mountedon said secondary frame and movable therewith, a body supported upon the main frame and having a hollow seat carried thereon, and motors carried on the secondary fra-me extending up through the main frame and through the body and into the hollow scat, said motors being operatively connected to the driving mechanism. 

